Lifting boom for truck

ABSTRACT

A lifting hook for attachment to a hydraulic lifting device mounted on a vehicle, the device normally operating the scraper blade of a snowplow or the like by means of a hydraulic ram and a pivoted arm-like member. The boom generally rests on top of the pivoted arm member and has lift means adjustably positioned therealong with means for attaching devices for engaging cable or chain or the like.

United States Patent 1191 Marquis Dec. 2, 1975 I LlFTlNG BOOM FOR TRUCK 2.956.691 10/1960 Fangman 212/55 x 3.l45.857 8/l964 Hayman ct all I76] Inventor a 'i g g z g 3332.562 7/1967 Kokott 2l4/86 A 001 s c 'e [22] Filed: Sept. 23, 1974 Primary E.\'aminerAlbert J. Makay pp NO 508 174 Attorney, Agent, or FirmBarlow & Barlow 57 ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl. 214/86 A; 212/55 I 51 1m. 01. 1. B60? 3/12 hook for attaclmem hydrauhc "ftmg [58] Field of Search 214/86 212/55 vice mounted on a vehlcle, the device normally oper- 254/139 ating the scraper blade of a snowplow or the like by means of a hydraulic ram and a pivoted arm-like [56] References Cited mteriber. The Zoom gdenleralgtrests on ofbtlhe pin- 0 6 arm mem er an as 1 means 21 usta y p0s1- UNITED STATES PATENTS tioned therealong with means for attaching devices for gkbcrg 214/86 A engaging cable or chain Or the hi remer .i 2867.333 l/l959 De Shano 212/55 X 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures U.S. Patent Dec. 2, 1975 3,923,170

LIFTING BOOM FOR TRUCK BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is customary to provide a supporting frame structure for vehicles such as pickup trucks, and the-like, whereby a snowplow blade may be affixed thereto. Generally these comprise a supporting structure with some sort of a pivoting arm-likemember, and between the pivoting member and the supporting structure is located a hydraulic ram. When such an equipped vehicle is used as a snowplow, a rearward arm from the snowplow blade is connected underneath the chassis of the vehicle and a lifting means, usually in the form of a chain, is connected to the outer end of the pivoting member. Control means are located in'the cab of the vehicle so that the hydraulic ram may be operated and lift the blade from the ground as the need occurs during snowplowing operations. Snowplowing is a seasonal operation and it becomes time consuming to remove the snowplow supporting frame from the vehicle when winter has passed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The general purpose of this invention is to provide an attachment for use with hydraulic rams or lifters for snowplow blades and which utilize the structure that is attached to the vehicle including the pivoting arm-like member and the hydraulic ram or lifter. Specifically the attachment is an extension lifting boom that is connected at one end to the pivot about which the normal arm-like member on the vehicle structure pivots and then suitably affixes itself to the arm to serve as an extension thereof. Preferably the extension boom is a box, girder-type structure with a central aperture therethrough and through this central aperture, there extends an adjustable lifting plate which may be adjustably positioned in a plurality of locations along the length of the boom, as by providing a number of depressions, and which has affixed to the free end thereof a hook for engaging a chain or shackle for engaging a cable or any other suitable attaching device. It is therefore the main object of the present invention to provide a boom for connection to a snowplow framework that is structurally sound and which can be readily detached when not in use.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the lifting boom in use for raising the front end of another vehicle;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view partly in section of the boom of the invention attached to the hydraulic lifting mechanism;

FIG. 3 is a view taken along lines 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a view taken along lines 44 of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A vehicle generally designated by the numeral is provided with a front bumper l2 and an underside framework and mounts, as generally indicated at 14, to which a snowplow blade would normally be attached. To provide a lifting moment for the usual snowplow blade that is attached to a vehicle such as illustrated herein, a framework consisting of a lower bar 16 with a stabilizing bar 17 extending therefrom back to the mounts 14, is provided and rising from the horizontal lower bar 16 are a pair of vertical struts 18 and 19 and between the upper end of the struts l8 and 19, a bar 20 is pinned. Pivotally related to the bar 20 is an arm-like member 22 in the form of a plate with depending walls and which, in the embodiment illustrated, comes to an apex and thus in plan is of generally triangular configuration. A hydraulic ram 26 includes cylinder 27 and a piston portion 28; The cylinder 27-is pivoted as at 30 to the lower bar 16 while the piston portion is pivoted as at 32 adjacent the apex of the member 22. Suitable hydraulic lines 37 are connected to the cylinder portion and extend into the source of hydraulic pressure within the vehicle (not shown). Generally the apex portion of the member 22 is provided with a hook, such as 36, and in normal operation this hook 36 supports a chain which in turn is connected to the'snowplow blade so that the same may sired.

As seen best in FIg. 2, a lifting boom, generally designated 40, rests on the member 22 and is secured from any lateral movement thereto by providing a hook means 42 at one end thereof and spaced part way up from the hook is an apex engaging plate 44 that engages the apex 23 of plate 22. At this point it should be understood that there are other forms of hydraulically actuated arm-like members such as the triangular shape plate member 22 as illustrated in the drawing. For example, the device may be an arm such as illustrated in US. Pat. No. 3,214,138, and to this end, it should be understood that the lifting boom would be provided with different forms of alignment means or means to prevent lateral movement of the boom relative to the device upon which it was attached.

The lifting boom extends a considerable distance forward from the normal hydraulically actuated arm-like member and as best seen in FIG. 4 is preferably made as a box-like structure with side plates 43, 44, bottom plate 45 and top plate 46 held together by a welded end plate 47 and the plate portion 41 of the hook 42. The box-like boom is slotted through the bottom and top wall 45, 46 respectively for a considerable distance terminating as at 48 and through this slotted section there extends a plate 50 which forms a lift means. The plate 50 has a transverse pin 51 at the upper end thereof which is adapted to be received in a plurality of recesses such as 53 located at spaced points along the top wall 46 of the boom. The lower end of the plate 50 is apertured and a shackle 55 and pin therefor 56 is received on the plate 50. Should it be desired to utilize the device with chain, a chain hook 58, as illustrated in FIG. 2, may be utilized or should cable be desired, then the hook 58 can be dispensed with and the cable can be directly attached to the shackle 55.

When operating the device, the boom is first placed on the arm-like member 22 by holding it somewhat in a vertical attitude and engaging the hook portion 42 about the transverse bolt 20 that extends between the upper ends of the vertical members 18 and 19. It is then lowered down and the aligning plate 44 engages the apex 23 of the member 22. The lifting plate 50 is then suitably placed in position along the boom 40 in one of the locating recesses 53 and chain or other lifting means may suitably engage the structure of the vehicle to be lifted, the hydraulic ram at 26 having first been lowered to its lowermost position. Hydraulic pressure is then supplied to the hydraulic ram through the line 37 and the vehicle to be lifted may readily be raised from the ground so that a tire may be changed without be raised from the groun'dwhen dethe use of any additional equipment. When it is not desired to use the lifting boom, it is easily detached and placed in the cab of the vehicle so that there is not an undue protrusion from the front of the vehicle while the same is operating on the roadways.

In many cases it is advantageous to utilize a light coil spring 60 that extends between the shackle 55 and the bottom wall 45 of the lifting boom. Such a spring assist in maintaining the plate 50 in its proper position before a load is applied thereto and prevents the pin 51 from jumping out of the recess 53.

I Claim:

1. In a mechanism for raising loads, a vehicle, a frame extending from one end of the vehicle and having an arm-like member, means pivoting said member to said frame, a hydraulic ram connected between the frame and said member, a boom supported along the top of said member and extending therefrom, said boom having an upwardly opening hook secured to one end for engaging the pivoting means and longitudinally spaced downwardly projecting locating means for engaging the free end of said member, said boom having a lift means adjustably positioned therealong and carrying means for affixing a cable thereto.

2. In a mechanism for raising loads as in claim 1 wherein said pivoting means is a bar and said upwardly opening hook pivotally engages said bar, said hook and said longitudinally spaced locating means preventing movement of the boom on said member.

3. ln a mechanism for raising loads as in claim 1 wherein the lift means has a transverse locating pin and said boom has recesses to receive the locating pin, said lift means having biasing means engaging the lower surface of the boom to maintain the pin in the recess. 

1. In a mechanism for raising loads, a vehicle, a frame extending from one end of the vehicle and having an arm-like member, means pivoting said member to said frame, a hydraulic ram connected between the frame and said member, a boom supported along the top of said member and extending therefrom, said boom having an upwardly opening hook secured to one end for engaging the pivoting means and longitudinally spaced downwardly projecting locating means for engaging the free end of said member, said boom having a lift means adjustably positioned therealong and carrying means for affixing a cable thereto.
 2. In a mechanism for raising loads as in claim 1 wherein said pivoting means is a bar and said upwardly opening hook pivotally engages said bar, said hook and said longitudinally spaced locating means preventing movement of the boom on said member.
 3. In a mechanism for raising loads as in claim 1 wherein the lift means has a transverse locating pin and said boom has recesses to receive the locating pin, said lift means having biasing means engaging the lower surface of the boom to maintain the pin in the recess. 